Love in war time
by Sinictra
Summary: SPOILERS: settled after the Goblet of fire, continue until the defeat of Voldemort.What JKR hid from us, she has never seen with good eyes this relationship. Severus Snape, in his role of spy, doesn't left indifferent anyone. Someones hate him, others...
1. The wound

First of all I want to say that I don´t own any of the characters that you recognize, they all belong to J.K.Rowling. Moreover I want you to know that this fic implies Severus Snape and Hermione Granger pairing. It is my first fanfic on this subject and I have to admit that I have chosen Hermione Granger because she is some kind of _alter ego. _Be indulgent with it, I´m not English so words maybe don't came as well as in my mother tongue so… mercy please!

Saying this, enjoy your reading! (and I will be truly grateful if you review)

SPOILERS WARNING: this fic is settled after _"The goblet of fire" and continues until a bit after the "Half Blood Prince"_

The wound.

Three in the morning. A bushy haired girl was still awake in a room of Grimmaud Place. She was wondering again about how can she feel that way, it was not only weird, it was almost painful. He had been teasing her since the first class, when he took points from Gryffindor due to her anxiety to proof herself being more than a dunderhead. It should be from that very moment. Since that day, she had tried to demonstrate him that she was worthy of being taught. Was it only that? A demonstration of her abilities? No, there was something beyond. She couldn't deny it anymore. Each day she became more and more worried about his fate, and once she discovered about his spying… well, she hadn't had a night of rest since then. And when she got asleep, she had horrible nightmares about him being discovered and hurt. She was in love. Finally, finding impossible to fall asleep, she decided to go downstairs to have a hot cocoa.

As she got to the kitchen's entrance, she overheard people talking inside. She got closer to the door to eavesdrop on the conversation. The voices were muffled by the thick door, nevertheless, she recognized them at once. On one hand there was the Headmaster, his voice sounded more serious than ever; on the other hand, there was _his_ voice. She would identify the cold tone and the bitter accent of the voice of Severus Snape wherever.

"Severus, are you sure that they don't suspect anything? If they do so, you are endangering your life in an unnecessary way"

"I'm positive about that. I'm simply paying the price for staying during fifteen years at Hogwarts and for being two hours late that night..."

"They have hurt you in the Mark. Voldemort don't know about chances and his punishments are not placed by chance"

"It is certainly not a chance." In that very moment, Hermione knew that a bitter smile was crossing her Potions Master face, the words which followed confirmed her impression. "It is only his kind way of remembering me what I am."

"What you were"

These last words were uttered in such a low voice that Hermione came a bit closer to the door, pressing it involuntarily and making it creak. The two men quickly turned to face the door, their wands at the ready. When they discovered it was she, both lowered their wand looking surprised.

"Miss Granger! What are you doing awake at this hour?" asked the Headmaster.

"I-I couldn't sleep s-so… I was going to have some chocolate… I'm so sorry, I'll return to bed right now" While apologizing, she was looking at the Potions Master out of the corner of her eye, as soon as he had seen her entering he had lowered his left sleeve, covering this way a profound bound.

"No matter, come in. Severus," added the Headmaster to the wizard that was standing besides the fireplace, "I must go, I will send you whatever you need but I insist that you should remain here until you are completely recovered. I'm sure that Miss Granger wouldn't mind to prepare another cup of chocolate for you"

"Absolutely" and saying this she made her way toward the cooker. "Would you like another for you Professor?"

"No, I'm leaving. Severus, I repeat that you should remain here."

"Nobody wants me here, including myself." He pronounced these words with a grim look and stood up. By doing this, his face was contorted with a painful gesture.

"Don't make me hex you. Molly will have no problem in helping you. You are as member of the Order as them, or as me."

Snape accepted reluctantly and when Hermione turned to give him the steaming drink, Dumbledore have disapparated.

"Here you are Professor". Severus Snape stretched out his hand to pick the mug but when he was leading it to his mouth, his hand shook spoiling the chocolate over the table.

"You are hurt, Professor! Can I help you?" Severus Snape was nobody but someone who liked to be helped, still, he throw a haughty look at her, then a sneer came to his lips by the time he rolled up his left sleeve. The Professor seemed to feel a mischievous satisfaction about the repulsion he was sure the wound was going to cause in his student. The glimpsed gash was a terrible spectacle. It had the appearance of a recent burnt, specially venomous, bright and dark at the same time. It has the form of a skull from whose empty mouth was coming out a snake. Despite of this and for Snape's astonishment Hermione's eyes showed nothing but pity.

"Wait a minute Professor", and with these words she disappeared returning seconds later with a small coffer bounded in black and red velvet. She put it on the table and, under the penetrating stare of her Potions Master, started to rifle through it. For all that Severus could see, it was full of bottles, bandages and other stuff, undoubtedly Muggle, that he wasn't able to recognize. Finally, Hermione took a flask with a Solution of Murtlap and some lint.

"I think I can clean the wound with this. The curse which did it seems to prevent the healing and the coagulation so we only can clean and bandage it each day". Snape looked at her in disbelief.

"How do you know all that?"

"Well, I want to become a Healer, and I love reading, so I try to be updated. Sometimes it's useful", answered her whit a weak smile. "Anyway", said serious again, "a true Healer should take a look at it"

"That's quite absurd, after your display of knowledge in medicine I thought you were cleverer. Don't you know what is this? Don't you know what is the meaning of the Mark? It is incredible enough that you haven't panicked and looked away from it to believe that after less than five minutes in St. Mungo the whole Ministry wouldn't be there with a bunch of Aurors, throwing all our work overboard. Besides, I can manage with it myself, I'm perfectly accustomed to it"

"I do know what it is and imply, and I don't care. You are my Potions Master and I trust you. So does Dumbledore and it is not I who needs nothing more. Anyway, you don't need to cure the wound yourself, I can help you if you let me. "

While talking, she was bandaging his arm extremely carefully, almost with devotion. Her attention was focused on the bandage although she felt his look fixed on her nape. When she turned to get some plaster, their eyes met and she felt how all her blood went to her cheeks. After this, she looked again into the coffer, took a phial full of a dark scarlet liquid, and gave it to him:

"I think this could agree with you, it would help you to rest and became stronger." He took the vial with his right hand and, after examining it against the light, drank it.

"This is a Revitalizing Potion, but you have added a bit of Asphodel. It is NEWTs' level and you have changed it slightly."

"Well, I thought it could be useful if it is used to help someone to recover, the ingredients combine perfectly and…."

"Enough. I already know those things, I was settling a statement not asking for a lecture."

"Sorry Sir. I'm going to arrange a room for you. There is one on the first floor, it is already clean and… I think it is the one they would assign to you."

"I can do it by myself"

"No, you can't! ...Professor" The sudden tone of authority she had used surprised him. It have taken him off guard, he looked inquisitively at the young witch in front of him. "So-sorry Sir, I just wanted to mean that it is not necessary that you do it, that I can fix it fo…"

"I know what you mean," he snapped. Nevertheless, his look didn't reflected rage if not weariness and astonishment. Nobody ever, even Voldermort, has talked to him in such tone during fifteen year of being respected when not feared.

They went upstairs, Severus Snape leaned against her shoulder, the potion hadn't worked yet and his body was exhausted after having endured a long session of torture with the _cruciatus _curse to demonstrate his loyalty. Once they reached the room, he leaned against the door and observed how Hermione made the bed. Noticing his curiosity stare, she said in a humble tone: "I'm still underage for the Ministry."

"No mind, they detect magic, but not the wizard. This is a registered house of wizards and it is also charmed with the _Fidelius Charm._" With these words, he offered her his wand. Hermione took it with trembling hands. It was a fine wand, made of ebony, as her owns, dark and bright. Wondering about its nucleus, she muttered a pair of charms. At once, the bed was made, a bright fire appeared in the fireplace warming the room as if it had been lighten during hours and a jug filled with crystal-clear water rested on the bedside table.

"I see you haven't forgotten that the asphodel makes people thirsty…"

Nodding, Hermione returned the wand and went out saying: "Good night, Professor."


	2. The guest

The guest

It had been a long night: the arrival of Harry, his reproaches for their ignorance of news, then the meeting of the Order and finally the appearance of Severus Snape. Definitively, she won't be able to fall asleep soon.

The next morning Hermione got up the first. In the beginning, she thought that all have been a dream, but then she saw the first-aid kit in the bedside table. She got dressed in a few seconds and went downstairs as fast as she could, reaching the kitchen's door just in time to nearly throw herself to Dumbledore who was standing behind the door.

"Sorry Sir", she said, her voice a bit trembling.

"Good morning, Miss Granger and don't worry. Precisely I was telling Molly about the new guest. Thank you for your inestimable help."

"You are welcome, it's nothing."

"Actually, that was what I was expecting. See, the members of the Order are so busy that I was wondering if you would mind to take care of Professor Snape during his stay with us. It is not as if he needs a lot of help but maybe you can assist him."

"Absolutely Sir, I can do it."

In that very moment Harry, Ron and Ginny were entering the kitchen just in time to overhear the last words, Was Snape in Grimmauld Place! Will Hermione take care of him! They can't understand anything. Moments later, Hermione was explaining them the events of the last night. Curiously, she omitted the fact that the wound was in his left forearm, over the Dark Mark. Finally, she exited before they had time to ask her nothing, claiming that she should take breakfast to their teacher.

"Uff! Believe us, we feel so sorry", told Ron patting her back. On the other hand, Ginny thought that Hermione was not very bothered about the task. She should talk with her.

Hermione went to the kitchen, asked Molly for a breakfast tray for her Professor, and made her way upstairs to give it to him. She knocked shyly the door and a harsh voice answered from the other side.

"Who is?"

"It's Hermione Granger, Sir", her voice was trembling notably, "I'm bringing you the breakfast."

"Come in." When she entered the room, Severus Snape was sitting before the fireplace. There were only a few embers, bathing the room in a red gloomy light. Hermione scarcely could distinguish the features of his Potions Master, anyway, she was sure that he should be still tired and weak.

"Here is your breakfast, Sir. I thought that you rather prefer having it in your room than going downstairs."

"It's quite absurd going where nobody wants to see me."

"It is not that way, Sir!" she hadn't finished this statement when she realized of the stupid of it. It was such a clumsy attempt of consoling him, who has never asked for console and less for one so silly. Therefore, the hatred towards him was so tangible that only a fool can try to deny it. Only a fool or a lover…

"Don't put that face Miss Granger. It is clearly true and let me say that the feeling is mutual." He said this with his usual cold voice and with a despising grimace.

"Do you need anything more, Professor?"

"So Dumbledore has burdened you with the task of taking care after me, hasn't he? You have to deal with the beast, with the demon… I should pity you, as well as your fiends have surely already done… But don't worry, you can feel relieved, I can take care of myself." The sarcasm and bitterness with which were impregnated every syllable slapped her. She made an effort to hold back the tears that were fighting to take their way down her cheeks and said in the calmest voice that she could:

"It is not that way. If you needn't anything more, I'll return later to bring you the rest of the meals and clean your wound," and with this words exited the room. When she reached her dormitory, collapsed into the bed and burst in tears. She need time to get calm down before seeing anyone. Unfortunately, Harry, Ron and Ginny entered seconds later. Seeing that she was crying they surrounded her and Harry and Ron started to complain about Snape simultaneously.

"Dumbledore has no right to make you take care of that monster: the most he suffers, the best for all."

"That vibe should bite his tongue and die poisoned."

Hermione didn't want to hear these things, it was exactly what he had said. She knew that he wasn't evil. Last night he had been kind, he had lent her his wand. She was sure of what have happened, the hatred and despise of the inhabitants of the house have reached him this morning. However, she wasn't going to surrender. He risked too much for them and he deserved respect. He didn't mere that all held him in contempt.

"Don't worry about me. I'm ok, really. I just need some time alone to calm down."

"Are you sure?" and seeing her nod, Ron added, "That's right. Mum wants us to desdoxyze the living room. See you later."

"Hey, 'Mione, forget him. He isn't anything more than a greasy git. Come on Ginny."

"I'll be along in a moment" she waited until the two boys have left the room and turning to face said: "You love him, don't you?"

"Who?"

"Don't fool me Hermione," she made her way to the bed and passed an arm over Hermione's back, "you know perfectly of whom I'm talking about and that I'm right."

"That is absurd."

"But real." With a softer tone asked: "What happened?"

Hermione looked upon, directly at the eyes of her friend, and in that moment knew that she couldn't lie, she had hold her feelings back so much time that were actually hurting. She needed to trust someone…

"Nothing, really. I mean he hadn't hurt me, at least directly. He thinks that Dumbledore has ordered me to take care after him and that should make people pity me. He should think that Dumbledore has charmed me. But what hurt me was that he is perfectly conscious of the feelings of hate that he generate in people and, instead of feeling bad about it, he had decided to be proud of it. He won't allow anyone to get close to him, he feel safer in that role. It has been his bitterness, his grief what have made me cry."

"Hermione, you have to realize who is he. He is a Professor, he is older and… he is Snape."

"I know but… I can't help it. And I'm not going to surrender."

"Be careful, would you? I don't want you to suffer and… pain is the only thing he can offer you."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself. Only a thing," said Hermione stopping Ginny in the doorframe, "don't tell it…"

"…to anyone." Completed Ginny with a smile. "Don't worry."

When finally Hermione was left alone, laid on the bed thinking… _Pain is the only thing he can offer you". _Maybe Ginny was right, she had thought about it as well, but, wasn't it said that give was better than receive? She can do that. She will forget about receiving anything and she will offer him everything she could. She would become deaf to his harshness. By the time of taking him the meal and cleaning his wound, she would act as if she hadn't heard any of his sarcasms.

Time after thinking this, she was in front of his door, knocking cautiously. This time nobody asked who was there. The door opened like it was its own will, cracking slightly. Hermione made her way towards him with the first-aid kit under her arm.

"Good afternoon, Sir", she didn't dare to look into his eyes. As he didn't move, she took his left arm and rolled up the sleeve. Carefully undid the bandage of the last night and cleaned the wound delicately. "I think that the _Murtlap Solution _is not enough for this kind of wound. It should be better to brew something more powerful, like a _Philtre of health _or maybe a _Purifying Colum _will be the most adequate."

After cleaning completely the still bloody wound, Hermione re-bandaged it with extreme concern. In the whole time she has spent there, he hasn't uttered a single word.

"This is done, Sir. I'll return tonight, think about brewing something powerful."

She had nearly reached the door when his voice stopped her,

"I want you here in an hour Miss Granger."

"Yes Sir." She couldn't imagine what he could want from her, but she was completely decided of going there. She explained it to Harry and Ron, fortunately, these events had made Harry forget a bit about his resentment.

An hour later she was knocking the door softly, the door opened again without any asking about the identity of the visitor. When she came in, the first thing that captured her attention was the fireplace. The previous times she has been there it was extinguished but now a fire was roaring under the bottom of a small cauldron. Her Professor was sitting in which seem to be a rather uncomfortable chair, between the fireplace and an old black mahogany desk. Looking more carefully she took a glimpse of what seem to be a moving dirty tablecloth that resulted to be Dobby.

"Dobby!" The house-elf trembled as he heard his name and looked upon with a blissful expression showed in his ugly features but not daring to say anything.

"Let's see Miss Granger, we are going to brew a _Purifying Colum. _Dobby has brought all the ingredients of my office as Dumbledore insists in me remaining here at least a week."

"Professor…" said Hermione peering in the old codex that laid on the desk, "I've never prepared such a complex potion."

"I can't brew it myself, it is necessary a pure, uninjured, person to concoct the ingredients keeping their whole properties. You well know that in this house you are the only one capable of helping me out in this, or a maybe are you suggesting of asking that dunderhead of Potter and his moron sidekick Weasley to brew it? I thought better of you."

"All right, Sir." And peering again through the instructions, started to prepare the ingredients. Foxglove, _Atropa Belladona, _Lemon scent, water of the Jordan river, Fleur-de-lys… FLEUR-DE-LYS! This plant was extremely rare and one of the most potent plants used in healing potions. She chopped the leaves of the fleur-the-lys very carefully, slowly but perfectly. A voice right behind her ear startled her. Severus Snape was watching over her warily.

"I see that you don't ignore the power and rareness of that flower. It is the most important ingredient of the potion."

"I… I think that if we could add some edelweiss , the _Argentum Stella… _the effect of the potion will be increased in a 50." The potions Master was surprised, that reasoning was quite correct, the edelweiss grow in the highest mountains of Switzerland where the oxygen is so pure that the potions skills of the plant were incomparable. This fact added to the fleur-de-lys will made the potion really powerful.

"Dobby," said the Professor, "go to my office and bring us the required ingredient." In barely thirty seconds, Dobby had disappeared and reappeared in front of them with some edelweiss. Severus gave it to Hermione. The bushy aired witch measured it carefully, too much edelweiss and the pureness of the potion will destroy the arm of her Professor.

Once the adding of the ingredients was finished, Hermione quitted a strand of hair from her face and checked that the potion was well brewed. Now, seven minutes concocting and then macerating it during seven hours and the potion would be ready. The colour and texture were correct, so were the density and steams.

"Good," that was such a compliment when it came from the lips of Severus Snape without being told to a member of his own House. "It's late, you should go down for dinner," and looking at her hesitation added, "I'll take care of the potion."

"Thank you, Professor. I'll bring you the dinner soon."

"Dobby can bring two dinners Master," the shrill voice of the elf startled both of them, "Dobby can Sir, Dobby will go downstairs and get two dinners so Dobby can see Harry Potter and you can watch over the potion." Dobby was clearly going to punish himself for having dare to speak when Severus Snape spoke.

"If you want, it is all right. That way you could appreciate the subtle change of density and how it becomes a brighter shadow of transparency."

"That would be so great Sir! I mean, I don't want to bother you but it would be really great, follow the process until the end."

"Dobby, bring two dinners."

The house-elf disappeared and reappeared wit a muffled crack as quickly as the previous time, cleared the mahogany desk and put two dinners on it.

"You can go to see that _Potter _now," said Severus scornfully.

"Oh! How great is Master Snape. Thank you Sir, thank you…"

"Go!" As soon as Dobby disappeared Severus sat down and served the food. He barely ate anything and Hermione was looking at him with concern. Finally, she regained some of the famous Gryffindor courage and told him:

"You should eat Professor," murmured she, "it is important to recover your health soon."

"You haven't eaten so much either."

"I'm not very hungry."

After was seem an eternity of silent eating he said,

"Listen to me carefully Miss Granger. I can count with the finger of one of my hands the times I have done this, and it has been never said to a student." Hermione shuddered, what could it be? Was he declaring his love? Hope. "I owe you an apologize," Hermione breathed, she had been unconsciously holding her breath, "this morning you didn't deserve what I told you, and even so, you returned as humble as before. Sorry."

"Thank you, Profes…"

"Enough. Said that look at the cauldron. It colour is now as transparent as the wing of a Spanish Fairy, its density is now a bit more viscose, which is very useful when applying it to wounds. Tomorrow will be ready to be bottled and used."

"Thank you Professor."

"Why?"

"Well… for the opportunity of brewing this potion. I could never do it myself… and it is such a great chance…"

"Enough. You were the only one who can brew it and it was in my own profit so stop stammering your _thankyous _and better go to bed. It is very late."

Hermione was decided to not allow him scare her with his harshness so she ignored the tone used by the Professor and reached the door.

"Good night Professor. Sleep tight." She blushed furiously at her last words, so she hurried to her dormitory feeling somehow stupid with that last rather familiar comment. "I_ should shut up my mouth. He will be upset about this last childish silliness_." At least Ginny was asleep so Hermione can rest on the bed and fantasize about the events of the evening… it did no good to her but she enjoyed so much thinking about him…

Meanwhile, Severus Snape was wondering in his quarters about her behaviour.

"_What have she thought that have happened? It was only a potion brewing and she was thanking him…indeed the only one benefited was he… he only have choose her because she was the only one on that house skilled enough to help him, there was no other reason, was there?" _He shook his head throwing those thoughts out of his mind. _"Maybe there were a different reason… she was the only one who seems to acknowledge him his role as a spy, the only one who bothered to hide her despise and hatred in front of him._

_In the house of Sirius, that stupid man… certainly his animagus form suited him perfectly, he was the dog of Dumbledore. That crazy man… the Headmaster seemed to be blind! How can he dare to make him stay in the same house that the same man who was his enemy! the same man who, as student, nearly killed him in a wicked joke… the same man he hated with his whole soul! And there was also that Potter, in his godfather's home feeling that he was the only important, feeling that he was the key and behaving as a selfish child… really, he couldn't understand how the wizarding world (that part of the wizarding world that knew about the return of the Dark Lord) sleep good at night knowing that their lives depended on that stupid little boy. _

_Talking about sleep, he should go to bed. That bloody wound was killing him, if it weren't for the cures that the know-it-all was doing it would be unbearable. And this, said by someone who had endured the tension of being a spy in front of the Dark Lord and the cruciatus curse, was a lot. Curious how people that we hold in contempt become big allies…_

_Wait a minute! Have I just called that insufferable know-it-all of Gryffindor an ally? Arghh! The pain should be affecting my brain. Good Merlin that tomorrow with the Purifying Colum all will be finished! Again this reminded of her… bloody smart-arse!" _

Thank you very much for your reviews Notwritten, Pineapplecookies and Elena. They are the first I have ever got and you made my day!


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